Philippine Lumber Producers Association Petitions Government for Relief and Recites Adverse Conditions

It is interesting to read of lumber conditions and situations outside the United States borders, but affecti,ng American-used lumber.

The annual issue of "COMME,RCE" the so-called "Voice of Philippine Business," issue in July by the Philippine Islands Chamber of Commerce, contains many pages regarding the hardwood lumber situation in the Islands. Two of these pages are filled by a very interesting letter written by A. W. Robertson, president of the Philippine Lumber Producers Association, to Hon. Beningo S. Aquino, Secretary of Agriculture and Commerce, relating the plight in which the lumber industry of the Isands now finds itself, and urging Governmental relief to help it through its present difficulties.

Faced by increasingly acute problems of increasing production costs, increased shipping costs, and shrinking outside markets, the lumber industry through Mr. Robertson, asks for relief fro,m many of its present burdens, notably taxes. The extreme curtailment of markets for Philippine lumber due to the war, has been accompanied by considerably increased production. Conditions in the foreign markets are repo,rted bad due to decreased territories that may be reached, and greatly increased freight and insurance rates. But the domestic market is declared badly disrupted on account of the fact that most of the new production sells only in dome'stic markets.

WITH CELOTEX CORP.

Don E. Coveney, who has been for the past 13 years with Strable Hardwood Company, Oakland, as salesman, resigned to become associated with The Celotex Corporation, September 1.

Don is doing promotional work among architects and contractors in the San Francisco Bay district, making his headquarters in Oakland.

Mr. Robertson says in his letter that "it is estimated that a combination of conditions have increased the cost of production of one thousand feet board measure by as much as ten dollars, during the period from the beginning of 1938 to the present time, and during that same period prices to have fallen off." He claimed that nery labor laws, new forestry charges, new sales taxes, new residence taxes, and new assessment laws have caused this great increase in the cost of. making Philippine lumber.

Mr. Robertson, president of the Philippine Lumber Producers Association, is manag"ing director of the Findlay Millar Timber Company in the fsands, thus giving this firm a corne,r on Philippine lumber presidencies since Walter Scrim is president of the American Association. E. C. Von Kauffmann is the first vice-president; R. H. Whitfield is the second vice-president; H. C. Pope and Luis Reyes are directors; and Martin Stapff is secretary-treasurer.

'Ihe following are the members of the Association: Anakan Lumber Co.; Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Co.; CadwalladerGibson Lumber Co.; Calubian Saw Mill; Eureka Sawmills & Co.; Findlay Millar Timber Co.; Hercules Lumber Co.; Insular Lumber Co.; Juan Del Gallego-Jaraiz; Lagoma Lumber Mill ; Mindanao Lumber Co.; Philippine Hardwood Co.; Philippine Lumb,er Manufacturing C.o.; Philippine Red Lumber Co.; Port Lamon Lumber Co.; Santa Clara Lumber Co.; Tomas B. Morato; Villasol Lumber Company.

HOWARD NEWMAN \,VITH NOiSNAEN COMPANY

Howard Newman has been appointed as a salesman for the Rossman Mill & Lumber Company, Ltd., and will work out of the company's main office at Wilmington. Mr. Newman is district secretary of the Junior Chamber of Commerce and a past president of the Wilmington Junior Chamber of Commerce. He takes an active part in most of the civic and community affairs in Wilmington.